The April 27th local government elections held in the 33 LGAs in Oyo state concluded with a total victory to the People’s Democratic party which clinched all the seats. Reactions, analysis and appraisals are yet to subside since the announcement of the winners, about twenty four hours after the voting exercise.
Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) headed by Aare Isiaka Olagunju (SAN), was the electoral body in charge of the conduct of the election which had 18 registered political parties showing initial interest. However, the ruling PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) were the chief contestants as they fielded candidates in all the 33 councils.
The commission after a year long preparation; town hall meetings with stakeholders and media men, voter’s enlightenment programs and planning, eventually conducted the exercise which it adjudged as free and fair. While the state governor, Seyi Makinde and other PDP elements upheld this assertion, the leading opposition party in the state as well as others have expressed unreserved criticism against the conduct of the election.
Details of the results according to OYSIEC chair are; Irepo LG: PDP: 17,497 APC: 2,638, Orelope LG: PDP: 24, 569 APC: 5,519, Surulere LG: PDP: 19,493, APC: 1,619, Kajola LG: PDP: 11, 232 APC: 9,373, SDP: 1,28, Ogo-Oluwa LG: PDP: 9011, APC: 854, LP: 12, Olorunsogo LG: PDP: 8,501, APC: 3002, NNPP: 175 and Ido LG: PDP: 20,059, APC: 3059 LP: 498. Iwajowa LG:PDP: 5,610, APC: 2,969, ADC: 150, Afijio LG: PDP: 18,662, APC: 198. Oyo West LG PDP: 12,974, APC: 3,712, ADC: 90. Orire LG: PDP: 15,301, APC: 5,579, ADC: 12.
Others are Ibarapa East LG where PDP clinched 13,896, APC had 1,606 and SDP 08 votes. In Iseyin LG, PDP got 69,896, APC had 8,241 and NNPP got 581 votes. Saki East LG: PDP: 9,732, APC: 1,571, ADC:36. Saki West LG: PDP: 19,621, APC: 4,920, ADC: 1,846. Ogbomoso South LG: PDP: 20,102, APC: 3,471, ADC:06 Ibadan Northwest LG: PDP: 21,810, APC: 3,848, ADC: 22,. Ogbomoso North LG: PDP: 13,681, APC: 4,691, ADC: 11, Akinyele LG, PDP: 66,325, APC: 3,477, ADC: 147. Ibarapa Central LG: PDP: 14,124, APC: 3,500, ADC: 14, Ibadan Southeast LG: PDP: 23,220, APC: 4,265, ADC: 27. Atiba LG: PDP: 19,259, APC: 5,086, ADC: 06. Itesiwaju LG: PDP: 7,303, APC: 3,795, Atisbo LG: PDP: 25,336, APC: 6,567, ADC: 139. Egbeda LG:PDP: 24,573, APC: 5,637, ADC: 30.
The remaining are Lagelu LG: PDP: 65,786, APC: 4,172, ADC: 150. Oluyole LG: PDP: 17,063, APC: 3,536, ADC: 55. Ibarapa North LG: PDP: 17,307, APC: 6,963. Oyo East LG: PDP: 27,567, APC: 3,051, ADC: 16, Ona-Ara LG: PDP: 13,093, APC: 4,187, ADC: 15, Ibadan North: LG: PDP: 73,240, APC: 5,548, ADC: 0 .Ibadan Southwest LG: PDP: 25,702,APC: 5,978. Ibadan Northeast LG: PDP: 17,920, APC: 7,958, ADC: 0.
The State government had declared as half working day, the Friday preceding the election day. This logical strategy to incite an electoral ambience was followed by the deployment of over 12,000 security personnel to ensure security of lives and properties. Similarly, the government announced a restriction on vehicular movement from 0600 hours to 1600 hours on the election day. However, Daily Trust observed that from Iwo Road to Gate, Beere, Amuloko, Oríta Aperin, Dugbe, Challenge and others, there were commercial vehicular movement although reduced from the usual bustling nature of the city. Yet, it was difficult to determine the cause of the reduction in traffic as a few motorists interviewed explained the scarcity of petrol rather than the movement restriction as a reason. Many traders had their wares displayed in their shops while artisans could be seen trying to make ends meet. Generally, the situation was dissimilar with what obtained during the general election conducted last year. While there city of Ibadan was devoid of election- related crisis or violence, it is difficult to attribute this to the influence of security operatives as no security personnel was seen in many areas of the metropolis. Some electorates attested to the fact that security men were on ground at their polling units, as early as 07.00 am, many others complained about the absence of security personnel at various polling units.
On the voting exercise which was fixed to commence by 08.00am and end at 03.00pm, Oyo Echo observed that the calls of condemnation echoed louder than that of commendation. While Governor Makinde had voted at polling unit 1, ward 11 in Ibadan North East LG before 10.30 am, many polling units like those in lbadan South West were inoperative as at 01.00 in the afternoon. These are the polling units at ward E99, the polling unit at Sacred Heart School, Oke Ayo among others. Similarly, many polling units at Ibadan North and Oyo South suffered the same fate. A widely circulated video had the Chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, going round some polling units in his LG and complaining bitterly about the absence of election officers as at few minutes to eleven. Meanwhile, as at this time, the lawmaker representing Ibadan South West and Ibadan North West, Rep. Olajide Stanley had exercised his voting rights at Anfani, unit 5, ward 9. Also, there were reports of negligence of duty at a number of polling units in Orelope LG. An election observer; Mr. S. B. Akindele who monitored the election in Saki town, and Irepo LG noted that there was no single electoral official nor materials in the whole of Saki East and Saki West.
Notwithstanding, Oyo Echo observed that counting and announcement of results had begun as at 02.00pm in some polling units in Ibadan, the state capital. These are areas like Ido, Ibadan North, Ibadan North East, Ibadan South East, Ibadan South West, and Ibadan North West local government areas.
Drawn from 6,390 polling units, over 2.3 million electorates registered for the election. However, the apathy displayed by voters is palpable especially when compared to voters’ turnout during the last general election. Concerned about the low turnout, Hon. Olajide Stanley stated, “ I want to encourage voters to take the local government election seriously. The zeal and enthusiasm are not like when we conducted the presidential election last year. Local government election is the bedrock of development in Nigeria. If we want good governance, we must come out to cast our votes.” He said. Meanwhile, the Punch had reported that the Presiding Officer at Polling Unit 5, Oluyole LG Ward 2, Idi-Iroko/Ikereku, Open Space Garri Processing, Mr Bamidele Akinkunmi, said that that 991 eligible voters registered at the unit, while 55 votes were cast for both Chairmanship and Councillorship as at 1:32 p.m. Also, the Presiding Officer at Polling Unit 6, Revenue Collecting Centre 1, Orita, Idi-Iroko/Ikereku, Oluyole LG Ward 2, Mrs Adenike Grace, said that of the 750 voters registered, 62 had cast their votes for the Chairmanship and Councillorship election as at 1:59 p.m.
After a week of concluding the election, APC candidates, stalwarts and loyalists are still expressing dissatisfaction with the conduct and outcome of the election. A former senate leader and 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Teslim Folarin has described the election as “a monumental fraud, charade and civilian coup.” This reaction according to his analysis is not unconnected with the manner in which OYSIEC in collaboration with the state government, disenfranchised the people.
Similarly, Senator Sharafadeen Alli who was elected on the platform of APC, noted that OYSIEC did not prepare for local government election held in the state on Saturday. He decried cases of reports of late arrival of electoral materials in some parts of the state, adding that there were lots of abnormalities that characterised the election.“I have had complains from Iseyin, I have had complains from Okeho since yesterday, there was a problem from Ayete yesterday, polling officers are yet to arrive at Idikan Onibata, in ward 4, ward 5 of Ibadan North West local government area, we kept on complaining.” He said. In the same vein, a former Minister for Communication, Adebayo Shittu in a live interview attested to how he and several others were disenfranchised after travelling down to Saki solely because of the election. “We had 228 polling units in Saki, yet no vote was held anywhere in these units. The Electoral Officer in Saki West who was supposed to be in charge of distribution of materials had absconded very early in the morning. Yet, PDP loyalists began celebrating their victory as at 11.00 am that Saturday.” He said.
However, in contrast to Senator Alli’s scathing remarks, unconfirmed reports from Oyo PDP has alleged that Senator Folarin was absent at his polling unit to vote. PDP’s Chairmanship Candidate in Oluyole Local Government, Hon. Akeem Olatunji, attributed the delay in delivering electoral materials and the presence of officers to logistical problems. According to him, PDP’s victory is only attributable to it’s fielding of good and credible candidates. “We have the best candidates from PDP compared to other political parties and we are, therefore, confident of victory in the local election.” He said. Reacting to the victory, the Deputy National Chairman (South) of PDP called on the opposition candidates who lost at the polls to accept the outcome in good faith and join hands with PDP led government for continuous development in the state. Amb. Arapaja equally advised the winners to be magnanimous in victory by working hard for the realization of the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde’s developmental agenda at the grassroot level.
An APC stalwart in the State, Chief Niyi Akintola SAN has added his voice to the turnout of event by saying that only Teslim Folarin’s faction in the party went into the elections and were roundly defeated by the PDP. His words: “It was Teslim faction of APC that went into the local government elections against the PDP and were roundly defeated by the ruling party. Why should Oyo APC want to win anything from last Saturday’s elections. Did they concede any seat to any opposition party when they organized same elections twice under Governor Abiola Ajimobi?” He asked.
Expressing the same sentiment, an ex chairman of Oyo State Park Management System; Mr. Mukaila Lamidi (Auxiliary) noted that APC were not meant to win the election as it was unheard of that an opposition party would win LG elections in the state.
Just as the APC Spokesman; Wale Sadare has called for the cancellation of the polls, Kayode Babayomi, the State chairman of AAC has expressed similar demands. According to him, the electoral process was marred by widespread irregularities, violence, and intimidation, hence, it should be cancelled.
He said, “We observed serious delays in the distribution of voting materials, deliberate misplaced materials, the mobilization of PDP thugs to intimidate voters, and the undue influence of security operatives.
“The Chairman and other party members were beaten and unlawfully detained, and several of our candidates’ wards were disrupted by PDP thugs. Evidence of all these fraudulent acts are properly documented online; many of which were even posted by eligible voters in Oyo State who were grossly disappointed at the show of shame displayed by Seyi Makinde.”
He said, “It is evident that the OYSIEC chairman, Isiaka Olagunju, danced to the tune of the Makinde government, undermining the integrity expected of an electoral process. The people of Oyo State have lost trust in the OYSIEC chairman and he should be sanctioned, investigated, arrested and prosecuted as an electoral offender.”
“ We call for the immediate cancellation of the charade; the fraudulent activity supervised by OYSIEC and that a new date for a free, fair, and transparent electoral process be set. The future of democracy in Oyo State depends on the integrity of our electoral system, and we urge all stakeholders to uphold the principles of democracy.” He said.
Evidently, several factors played out in the result of the LG polls. Weakened opposition, voter apathy, electoral discrepancies, socio-economic issues, inefficient electoral body, among others are some of them. Yet, the course and outcome of local council elections is still chiefly subject to the influence of the ruling party, as evident from the last LG polls in Oyo State.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.